Category Archives: animation

WMDs Review

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WMDs Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Developer: DARKMOJO
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.5
Device Reviewed On: iPhone

iPhone Integration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Re-use Value Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 2.83 out of 5 stars

Comic books and the iPad seem like a match made in heaven, but there are still some kinks to work out before they can truly come into their own. Take, for instance, WMDs, a new iPhone-only comic book. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was when I first downloaded it. I couldn’t tell if it was a motion comic, a fully animated short, a traditional comic, or some sort of hybrid of the three. As it turns out, it’s mostly like a traditional comic book, and, unfortunately, not a particularly good one.

Both issues 1.0 and 1.5 are currently available through the app store for free, so there’s no harm in trying them out. What you will find is a series with some promise – the initial trailer for the series uses live action and animation to showcase the series’ premise that superhumans are responsible for many of the world’s great disasters and large-scale military triumphs. But once you get past the initial pomp during the opening sequences, what you’re left with is a pretty standard comic book.

To be fair, the comic book reader software included with each issue/episode of WMDs is clean and simple. You are generally treated to one panel at a time, and you can pinch and zoom to get a closer look at any time. It’s standard stuff for a reader these days, but it’s well implemented here.

I think my expectations would have been lower, and my evaluation of this series higher, had WMDs been released as a standard comic book through an app like Comixology’s Comics. Instead, the hint of animation and live action footage makes the actual comic pale in comparison. It also doesn’t help that the art for WMDs, while serviceable, is sometimes scratchy and seems unfinished in places.

No doubt there will be additional episodes/issues in the WMDs series, but if the developers intend to continue presenting their story using a traditional comic book format, they might have better luck selling individual issues through another venue rather than their one-issue-per-app approach.


[ WMDs Review is a post from 148Apps ]


The Pedlar Lady for iPad Review

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The Pedlar Lady for iPad Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Developer: MOVING TALES
Price: $4.99
Version Reviewed: 1.01
Device Reviewed On: iPad

iPad Integration Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
Re-use Value Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.42 out of 5 stars

I’ve never heard of the old folk tale(s) that The Pedlar Lady originated from, but the notion of reading this story in an enhanced ebook format was an opportunity I could not resist. Since the iPad appeared, the device has been hailed as the harbinger of a new age in publishing, but most of that has been in the form of periodicals and traditional print ebooks like those available for the Kindle and for Apple’s iBook store. A few experimental books have appeared, like Elements or Alice, and these push the boundaries of what books can and should do. The Pedlar Lady is another example of this sort of book app.

I won’t say much about the story of The Pedlar Lady except to say that it has a rustic charm that is fairly irresistible. The story is plainly and simply told, but it carries with it the aura of ancient legend. Credit goes to developer Moving Tales for not trying to make the story more than what it is, and instead focusing on accompanying the story with visuals that are deceptively complex.

The graphics are sophisticated 3D, but the color pallette is kept so limited it allows even these high-tech images to seem old and worn in a way. Color in general is limited to only a few objects (except for two gorgeously rendered traveling scenes that look like moving paintings), so the words take precedence over everything else.

Those selfsame words are wonderfully read by a narrator who affects a convincing and gentle Irish dialect (one version of The Pedlar Lady story originated in Ireland). You can turn off the narration if you wish, but I was charmed by it. Still, it might be interesting to read it aloud yourself, particularly to a young child.

If there’s a weakness to be found with The Pedlar Lady, it’s that it is not as interactive as I had expected. It is very much a moving book – nothing less and nothing more. Touching objects on the screen yields nothing (except occasional mistaken page turns) and the most interactive the app gets is when you turn the iPad from portrait to landscape mode – the narration stops and the letters tumble convincingly across the page.

This is a minor quibble, however, as a book is not the same thing as a game, and interactivity can also interfere with the flow of the story. Accept The Pedlar Lady for what it is – a beautifully conceived and designed childrens book that is bound to charm anyone of any age.


[ The Pedlar Lady for iPad Review is a post from 148Apps ]


StopMotion Recorder Review

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StopMotion Recorder Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Developer: graf
Price: $0.99
Version: 1.0.2
App Reviewed on: iPhone 3GS
iPhone Integration Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars

The art of stop motion is a filming technique that’s been around since the late 1800s and popularized in the swinging 1960s. It’s created by photographing every movement a character or prop makes, then stitching them together in rapid succession. Although, it’s quite complicated and therefore mainly left to the pros. Now, you can make your own stop motion film easily with just your iPhone and StopMotion Recorder.

The app is basic; just point and click. When you first go into the app, the camera will be deployed. The principal is easy – pose your characters and touch the screen to take pictures. A nifty feature to make sure you line up each shot from one to another is a shadow of the previous picture (aka onion skin), so there will be no unwanted differences once you put the frames together.

Once finished, you get a chance to review all the frames, cut ones you don’t want and set the speed of your movie (how many frames you want to play per second) and that’s it! A stop motion movie in minutes. The list of your finished movies can be accessed any time from within the app.

There are lots of options to chose from for sharing for creations; send to Twitter using YFrog or TwitVid, mail it or upload it to Flickr or YouTube. Interestingly, if you want it in your camera roll, you have to export it from the app first. It would be much better if the movie was automatically added to the camera roll, like many other picture and movie apps do. There is a settings menu, but nothing there is too complicated and instead just invites you to try different effects on your pictures.

The photo quality of the movie is also only as good as the iPhone camera. Don’t expect to have a very high quality movie unless you are in natural sunlight. Though the app does try to focus each frame as you take it, giving each frame a much crisper look. Due to the quality restrictions of the camera, StopMotion Recorder might be a little too irritating for those without patience or a steady hand.

One very strange detail is the lack of auto-rotation when taking the photos. If you hold the iphone on its side to make the most of the screen, then you might end up with an upside down or sideways movie that needs editing once uploaded to a computer, defeating the object slightly.

Anyone looking for a bit of fun should give StopMotion Recorder a go, as it’s bound to bring hours of entertainment to an individual or a group. The creativity is pretty much boundless, only tampered slightly by the lack of rotation and camera quality. For just $0.99, this is an absolute steal.

[ StopMotion Recorder Review is a post from 148Apps ]


Masha and the Bear #4

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Masha and the Bear #4 is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

We are glad to introduce the 4th episode of “Masha and the Bear” cartoon – “Don’t wake up till spring!”.
Watch new adventures of a little girl Masha and her friend the Bear. When winter came, the Bear was well-prepared for hibernation. But naughty Masha forgot that all the bears usually sleep in winter and came to visit her friend. Of course, the Bear couldn’t sleep anymore … What happened in the Bear’s house this time? Enjoy the 4th episode of the funny animated series.


Masha and the Bear

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Masha and the Bear is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Meet a new cartoon series for iPhone – “Masha and the Bear”!
Laugh at the interesting funny adventures of a naughty little girl Masha and her friend the Bear and enjoy the beautiful old story in a new adaptation! The series, really interesting at any age, is made for the whole family. We introduce the 1st episode of this amazing animation – “First Meeting”.


FlamesDoodle

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FlamesDoodle is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

FLAMES DODDLE is a great application that lets you to make your drawings with animated flames. Experience the fun in drawing with the flames of different colors and sizes and different backgrounds.
Start takes you to the drawing screen in DRAW mode. You can change the Background from Menu options. Tapping on Settings button takes you to the settings screen where you can do all the settings like changing flame colour/size, eraser size and sound controls. Tapping on DRAW/ERASE button changes to ERASE and DRAW modes. You can erase the complete screen in ERASE Mode by shaking the device, doing so will take you back to DRAW mode.You can also erase the drawing in parts by tapping the drawing. Once you are done with the drawing you can save the drawing to Picture Album or Email it to you/friends from the menu options.
HIGHLIGHTS:
· You can draw the picture with animated flames.
· You can add the flames to the background to look funnier.
· You can Email the snapshot of the drawing.
· You can save the snapshot of the drawing to the photo album.
· You can convey your words in flames to the loved ones with some drawing too.
· You can take the autographs of the people in your desired background.
· Select the picture of the person as background and have their autograph on it.
FEATURES:
· Draw animated Flames on the screen.
· Saves drawing to Photo Album.
· Sends Email with the drawing Attachment.
· Change Background of the screen.
· Auto-hiding Toolbar
· Can change Flame size.
· Can change Eraser size.
· Shake the device to erase the complete screen in ERASE mode and goes to DRAW mode automatically.
· Select different Flame colors.
· Can see how the flame looks like while selecting and setting flame, flame sizes.
· Supports erasing parts of drawing in erase mode.
· Excellent Flame Animation.
· Supports sound adjustments.
· Animated Buttons.
LANGUAGES:
English
REQUIREMENTS:
Compatible with iPhone OS 3.0 or higher.
FeedBack:
Please contact flamesdoodle@gmail.com for any queries or extra information about the application.